According to a recent Justice Department report, the number of people held in U.S. prisons, jails and other correctional facilities exceeded two million at the end of 1999. On any given day, thousands of these people are being transported between these facilities or to various courts. For long distance trips, commercial carriers and public accommodations are often used.
While being transported and during court appearances, prisoners are usually restrained by handcuffs binding their wrists together for the safety of those nearby. Because handcuffs permit a prisoner to elevate his arms, a belt with a handcuff-retaining loop is normally also fastened about the waist of the prisoner. When the cuffs are passed through the loop, the prisoner is effectively prevented from moving his hands, wrists, arms and elbows more than a few inches in any one direction.
Unfortunately, there are problems associated with "locking down" a prisoner by means of handcuffs and a retaining belt. When worn for long periods, handcuffs tend to dig into the skin of a wearer, restricting blood flow to the hands and sometimes causing cuts, bruises, and great discomfort. Of course, to eat or use the restroom, a prisoner must be uncuffed--conduct that violates the rules of most airlines, restaurants, and hotels and is grounds for expulsion therefrom. Finally, the sight of a handcuffed person is frightening to some and may cause onlookers to panic or flee from this person's presence. A need, therefore, exists for a product that permits control over the movements of a prisoner while in public places to be maintained at all times yet is unobtrusive and unnoticeable to casual observers.